Fire-fighter's death renews calls for compensation

Former fire-fighter Christopher Lake was 66 years-old when he succumbed to the cancer that had spread to his brain.

He was laid to rest in Alice Springs today by family, friends and a contingent of past and present fire-fighters.

Mr Lake was a firie for 25 years and evidence suggests that his illness was most likely caused by exposure to toxins on the job.

"A firefighter going into a burning building, there's a whole range of chemicals that are there, that are all poisonous," says United Voice NT Secretary, Matthew Gardiner.

"...whether it's burning plastics, burning fuels, there's a whole range of chemicals released into the air, onto their clothing and in the times before there was proper protective gear and breathing apparatus, these firefighters used to enter these buildings with just a silk cloth over their nose."

Mr Gardiner says research in the United States has concluded that exposure for firefighters makes them three to four times more likely to contract cancers than the general population.

"This is something that is being currently explored in Australia, through a longitudinal study at Monash University," he says

"[But for now] we have to rely on international results [and] those results are absolutely conclusive that being a fire-fighter increases your risk of cancer."

Currently compensation laws that cover fire-fighters for work related cancer differ depending on where you work, and who you work for.

In 2011, the Commonwealth introduced presumptive legislation for firefighters employed by federal agencies, such as airports and defense bases.

These laws are based on the principle that if a particular type of cancer is diagnosed (within a minimum time frame of employment) the cancer is presumed to have been caused by exposure on the job and the government will cover the associated costs of treatment and care.

In recent years, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia have all passed similar legislation.

Now, there are increasing calls for the Northern Territory Government to follow suit, but so far they have withheld support - a draft bill introduced by the Opposition last year was defeated along party lines.

At the time, Treasurer Dave Tollner said presumptive legislation for firefighters would be addressed as part of an overall review of the NT Workers Compensation Scheme, expected to be complete by June.

He said the bill was poorly drafted and did not distinguish between volunteers and professional fire-fighters.

He went on to accuse the Opposition of playing politics before a Federal Election.

"This sad passing is a tragic reminder of the importance of the campaign Mr Lake and his comrades have waged for legislation that covers firefighter cancer," he said.

Speaking with ABC News yesterday, Treasurer Dave Tollner again accused the Opposition of playing political games.

"I'm stunned and dismayed that the Labor Party would bring base politics into this sad time of grieving," he said.

"My thoughts are with the family. I can assure them and firefighters that we're taking the matter of presumptive legislation very seriously, but I don't think now is the time to be discussing those matters."

Chief Minister Adam Giles responded similarly in parliament today.

"To bring a funeral and the death of a fire-fighter into a political question in Question Time on the day of his funeral is completely offensive," he said.

"I am prepared to have a debate about the changes for presumptive legislation before this parliament at any time...[but] this is the day the bloke is getting buried and we will continue this debate at a later date."

But United Voice Secretary Matthew Gardiner says fire-fighters and their families cannot afford to wait - he says of the two hundred or so firefighters currently employed by the Northern Territory Government, four of them are fighting cancers linked to job exposure.

"What's happening is these firefighters are sick now, and they need help now, not sometime in the future," he said.

"We should be supporting the firefighters in the time they need us the most, they've supported us, they've looked after us, they've pulled people out of car crashes...out of buildings...we should be out there making sure they get all the support required to fight these insidious diseases."

Speaking after her father's funeral in Alice Springs today, Chris Lake's daughter, Emma Lake, said her father would have wanted to lend his support to the cause.

"He used to worry so much about me and the boys because we were looking after him at home...he didn't want to be a burden on anybody, but we all loved him dearly and wanted him to be at home with us, it was very hard with not much support."

"There's just no excuse really, people are that sick, and it's not only the person that's suffering it's their whole entire family," she says.

"My boys are going to remember this and how sick my dad was for the rest of their lives...there goes them wanting to become a fireman, because they watched my dad suffer and they knew, we knew, that it had come from being a firie."

Deputy Chief Minister Dave Tollner declined to be interviewed further on this issue.